Musharraf challenges rejection of bail plea

Former President Pervez Musharraf today approached the Islamabad High Court to challenge the rejection of his bail by an anti-terrorism court in a case related to detention of judges during the 2007 emergency in Pakistan.
In a petition filed through his counsel Ilyas Siddiqui, Musharraf said that, being a former president, he could not be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the charges levelled against him were bailable.
"The petitioner was supreme commander of the armed forces and was president of Pakistan, and the president cannot be a terrorist," the petition said.
It further said that none of the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act were applicable in Musharraf's case.

No order or any evidence was available on record to show that Musharraf was the person who had detained the judges or put them under restraints, the petition said.
Even the complainant in the case had withdrawn the allegations and said he did not intend to pursue the case, the petition added.
Siddiqui said Musharraf was no longer required for further investigation and should be freed on bail.